My Smoke Detector Is Too Sensitive: Fix It Without Removing It

My Smoke Detector Is Too Sensitive: Fix It Without Removing It

Last spring I got a call from a homeowner in Draper — nice older rancher, recently remodeled kitchen that opened into a hallway. She was furious. Her smoke detector had gone off three times that week: once when she boiled a pot of pasta, once when her teenager took a long shower with the bathroom … Read more

How Many Detectors Does Your Home Actually Need?

How Many Detectors Does Your Home Actually Need?

Last spring, I got a call from a homeowner in a suburb outside Salt Lake City — nice family, two kids, three-bedroom ranch with a finished basement. They’d just had a small kitchen fire, caught it early, no injuries. But here’s what got me: not a single detector in the house had gone off. Not … Read more

Is a Combination Smoke and CO Detector Worth It?

Is a Combination Smoke and CO Detector Worth It?

Last spring, I got a call from a homeowner in a newer subdivision — let’s call her Karen. She’d woken up at 2 a.m. with a headache and nausea, chalked it up to bad takeout, and gone back to sleep. The next morning, her carbon monoxide alarm was chirping. Turned out her furnace heat exchanger … Read more